Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, (1) from a comic on deviantART

AN: o.O This got popular fast.

Binto – Japanese boxed lunches

Zori – The Naruto people's type of shoe. '

I'm an official NaruHinatard, lol I know the ripping cloth to make bandage thing is SO clichéd, but meh, I had to put it in there, don't sue me. p: You won't want to after this chappy… ;) And I've been busy reading our favorite lighting-scared wizard's latest book! And murdering writer's block, but meh…. long live NaruHina! (And IchiRuki, the newest addition to the list) (insert evil laugh here), seven pages, font 12, times new roman, in ur face, Sheby…

Hi-bi-o-mo: Hebi & omo, literally meaning crack-face, as in the drug crack

Kyuubi's thoughts are written like this.

Chapter 2

"So you're finally waking up." the fox muttered.

"What do you mean, Kyuubi?" the boy replied.

The demon chuckled. "I'll let you figure out, Naruto."

- (' . ') -

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter… The sound echoed in Hinata's mind, along with steady, calm, breathing. Come to think of it, if felt like someone was breathing on her. She opened her eyes to what resembled three whiskers.

Wait, only one person has 'whiskers'. Hinata dared herself to look up to see what she feared she would. She did.

"N-Naruto-kun!" she breathed, her face flushing. Naruto was but inches from direct contact with Hinata, his cheek resting on their intertwined hands. His eyes squeezed together and opened slowly, resting on Hinata's tomato-of-a-face.

"Hinata?" Naruto sat up, releasing her hand. He ran his hand threw his hair, looking somewhat distant.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata sat up as well.

Naruto looked toward the sky, resting his arm on his knee.

"Is it raining?"

Hinata stuck her head out of the tent. "It's letting up, we should head out soon."

Naruto nodded and pulled on his jacket.

"Naruto-kun, is something wrong?"

Naruto looked up at the sound of her voice. "No, everything's great!" he replied, putting on his charming grin. He tied his headband and stepped outside, stretching.

"Alright, let's go!"

"But, Naruto-kun, we haven't had breakfast!"

"Oh yeah."

Hinata pulled two Bintoes out of her pack and handed one to Naruto.

"Wow, you thought of everything, didn't you, Hinata?"

Hinata smiled and giggled, a slight blush crawling across her cheeks. Naruto smiled before eating some of the Binto.

"Hinata, I envy the guy who marries you. He gets to eat you great food everyday!"

Hinata's color darkened a number of shades. Marry…!

"Eh, Hinata? Did you catch a cold?" Naruto said, putting his hand to her forehead.

"No, I'm fine, Naru- ohh!" Hinata had pulled back from his hand, dropping her Binto in the process.

"Here." Naruto said, handing her his half-eaten box.

"Naruto-kun…."

"It's okay, I'll be fine. You eat it; I'll clean up the mess." Naruto said, bending down to collect the spilled contents of the box. He dumped them on a near by bush, since the integrants were all natural. He packed the box in his bag and pulled out the map.

"There should be a river to the north; we're supposed to follow it till we find a rock that looks like…. Hinata, what is that?" Naruto asked, pointing at the picture of the rock.

Hinata looked at it. Nine rows of rocks came from a long, thick boulder, with the top rock pointed half-way up and six rocks assembled on each side to resemble 4 legs.

"… The Kyuubi?"

Naruto let lose a small gasp.

"Naruto-kun? It something wrong?"

Naruto smiled at Hinata "Nope, I'm great!" He put his leg out, stopped in mind swing, and dropped it back down. He scratched the back of his neck. "Um, which way is north?"

Hinata giggled and walk forward. "It's this way."

Naruto and Hinata came upon a large, quick-flowing river. Naruto looked back at the map. "The river doesn't look that big on the map."

"Is must have been all the rain."

"I guess so." Naruto said, putting the map back in his bag.

"Hey, Hinata, how do you know –" Naruto was cut off my Hinata's scream and the crackle of rocks. He spun around to see Hinata fall into the water.

"Hinata!"

Hinata tried in vain to get a chakra grip on the water as she was swept off with the current. Naruto ran across the water to Hinata, pulling her out of the water and, holding her against his chest, leapt to the land and let go.

"Hinata, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm- ahh!" Hinata cried out in pain as she fell, only to be caught by Naruto.

"Hinata, what happened? Are you okay?"

"I… I think I may have done something to my ankle."

"Really?" Naruto asked, lowering her. He pulled up her pants leg, getting a wince from Hinata.

"Sorry, did I do something?"

"No, it just hurts."

Naruto looked to her ankle. It was purple, swollen, and bleeding slightly. He took of her zori off and grabbed a spare shirt out of his bag, ripping a sleeve with his teeth and wrapping the cloth around her foot.

"That good?" he asked. Hinata nodded and Naruto put her Zori in his pack, putting the bag on backwards; on his chest. He squatted down in front of Hinata and looked over his shoulder. "Alright, climb on."

"E-eh?" Hinata stuttered.

"I'm going to carry you, you can't walk like that."

Hinata hesitated, but climbed onto Naruto's back. He held her legs as she griped his shoulders.

"Ready?"

Hinata nodded and Naruto began the fallow the river.

- (' . ') -

Cer-FOO!

Naruto looked around. "What was that?"

Cer-FOO!

Naruto looked over his shoulder at Hinata. "Hinata; did you just snee- Hinata!"

Hinata looked near to passing out. She was extremely pale, excluding her red cheeks.

"Hinata, what's wrong?!"

Hinata coughed. "I think I caught a cold when I – Cer-FOO! – when I was in the river."

Naruto ran back into the woods, setting Hinata down at a tree.

"Damn, we should have taken you jacket off!" He exclaimed, taking off his own. Hinata's cheeks bugled and she covered her mouth, turning her head to vomit to the side.

"Hinata!"

She rested her head on the trunk of the tree, panting loudly. Naruto took her jacket off and lay his own on her, fishing in his bag for something. He pulled out a small pill and turned back to Hinata.

"Here Hinata, swallow this." He said, holding it up to her mouth. When she didn't respond he pushed it between her lips and closed her mouth with his hand, messaging her neck so that she swallowed.

Man, am I glade I listened to Sakura when she was ranting about cold cures.

Hinata's breathing slowed to a regular pace and some of the color spread from what was pooled in her cheeks. Naruto set up the tent and their sleeping bags.

"C-cold…" Hinata muttered.

"Hinata? Are you awake?" Naruto asked, sticking his head out of the tent.

Hinata moaned and curled into a ball, trying to warm herself. Naruto brought her into the tent and laid her in her sleeping bag. She shivered and curled tighter. He did the only thing he could think of; he picked her up and cradled her to his chest, blankets and all, hoping to provide her with some warmth. Naruto sat there with her in his arms, watching her, praying she would be okay.

- (' . ') -

Hinata roused, opening her eyes to see Naruto's head resting on her chest, dangerously close to her bosom, sending an assortment of colors across her face, all closely related to red. She squeaked and fell backwards, bringing Naruto to reality and down with her, landing him on what he had been dangerously close to. Naruto shut his eyes and bolted up to lean on his elbows.

WHERE THE HELL DID THOSE COME FROM?!?!

Oh my gosh, Naruto, don't tell me you haven't noticed.

…

(sigh) My Jinchuriki is an idiot… mentally and hormonally.

"Sorry, Hina-" Naruto opened his eyes to realize he was inches from Hinata's face. Her eyes seemed glazed over, and a strange look took hold of her face. A feeling bubbled deep within Naruto's stomach, sending butterflies to flutter about his insides. Naruto eased down on top of Hinata, beginning to close the gap between their lips.

Cer-FOO! And Hinata's head sprang forward to bang into Naruto's chin, sending the ninja rolling across the tent for in pain.

Why did somebody talk about Hinata NOW?

- (' . ') -

Off in the Hyuga House…

- (' . ') -

Neji looked up from his training dummy, stopping in mid attack to look up at the sky.

"My Hyuga senses are tingling. (1)" he muttered. "I hope Hinata's okay."

- (' . ') -

Back with our favorite couple…

- (' . ') -

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata called out.

"I-I'll go get fire wood." Naruto said, rushing out of the tent, living Hinata to faint in peace.

"What the hell was that?!" Naruto cried out, hurling a rock at the river in frustration. An image of Hinata swirled in his mind. Of her on the floor beneath him, her raven hair spread across the floor, her pearly eyes gazing into his, mesmerizing him, holding him in a state of longing, calling out to him, and yet doors to a world unseen and untouched.

"Don't leave her unguarded." a voice called out.

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts and spun around, snatching a kunai from his pack. "Who's there?"

A shrill scream ran through out the forest, and it was very familiar.

Don't leave her unguarded. "Hinata!" Naruto called out and sped back to the campsite to see a man escape through the trees with Hinata under his arm, a dart in her arm.

"OI!" He called out to him, jumping after the figure. "Oi, bastard, I'm talking to you!"

The man did not respond but continued to jump through the trees. "Drop Hinata now!"

They came to a clearing in the woods and Naruto through the kunai at the man's back, causing him to disappear in a cloud.

"A Bushin?" Naruto caught Hinata and put her on the ground, standing in front of him.

"Such a pretty face." the voice came from behind. Naruto turned around to see the man again; crouched down and towering over Hinata, holding her chin in his hand.

"Get you hands off of her!" Naruto yelled, punching the man only to have him disappear in a cloud as well.

"Nice Sheila ye got theh'." the man called out from in front of him again. Naruto turned to look at him. He looked are his age; 16 or 17. His jet-black hair was similar to Kakashi's, but only half as tall. His shirt was black, sleeveless, and half was missing across his chest. His tan pants were ragged and his black zori worn, his head band sporting a slashed symbol, similar to that of the shoulder symbols of the ANBU.

"She yer girlfriend?"

Naruto flushed slightly. "N-No…."

"Then she's all for the takin'!" and the disappeared, reappearing beside Hinata, meeting Kunai with Naruto.

"Who are you?"

"I am… YOU'RE FATHER!!!!"

Naruto looked at him like he had seven heads.

"Geez, do you have no humor?"

"No, I just don't get it."

"You've apparently never seen Star Wars. ANYWHO, My name's Hibiomo, and why are you so protective over her if you're not an item?"

"Because she's my friend! And she deserves better than you!"

"Like who, you?"

Naruto pushed Hibiomo off and got in front of Hinata.

"Na… Naruto… kun…." Naruto turned back to Hinata.

"Hinata! Are you okay?" he asked, getting down beside her.

"Yes, Hibiomo just shot me with a paralyzing dart. It's wearing off."

"Can you get up?"

Hinata bent forward and pushed herself up to lean in her hands. They looked around.

"Where'd he go?"

"Byakugan!" Hinata whispered, the veins about her eyes thickening and her yes becoming stressed as she activated the technique.

"He's gone."

"Good riddance. Let's get you back to camp." Naruto bent down and picked up Hinata in his arms.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata cried out, tensing and drawing her arms to her chest in her embarrassed fashion.

"Don't worry, I won't drop you. It would help if you held on, though."

Hinata hesitated but put her arms around Naruto's neck. Naruto began to leap through the trees when they happened upon Sakura.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!"

The pink-haired ninja stopped and turned her head.

"Naruto! Hinata…san…?" Sakura took in the odd scene of Hinata in Naruto's arms with her hanging around his neck. Hinata quickly released Naruto's neck and retracted her arms to their previous position.

"No,it'snotlikethat!" she squeaked, her face getting brighter by the second.

"Eh? What was that Hinata?" Naruto asked, looking down at her. She turned even redder and turned her head away.

"Anyways; Sakura, Hinata hurt her ankle and she can't walk. Could you help her?"

"Sure, put her on the ground."

Naruto did so and Sakura removed her bandage, getting a wince from Hinata.

"Oh goodness, what happened?" Sakura said, examining Hinata's purple, puffy leg.

"She slipped on some rocks and fell into the river." Naruto explained. "Now that you mention it, I think I also heard a creak…."

"That would have been the bone in her leg." Sakura informed them.

Hinata gasped and Naruto looked in utter shock.

"I can mend it, but it's going to be painful. Naruto, can you hold her down?"

Naruto nodded and went to Hinata's head, putting his hands on her forearms.

"Here we go. I'll try to make it quick." Sakura said, putting her hands on either side of Hinata's ankle. There was a low hum and a green energy came from Sakura's hands, surrounding Hinata's broken ankle.

Hinata cried out and jolted.

"Naruto, hold her!"

"I am!" he said as he struggled to hold down Hinata. "Hang in there, Hinata!"

"It-It hurts!" Hinata cried out.

"I know, bear with me." Sakura reassured her.

Hinata squeezed her eyes shut and balled her fists, a tear escaping her lid.

"Almost done."

The few suspenseful and painful moments ended with a defiant snap as the bone finished repairing.

"Ew…." Naruto muttered.

Sakura shivered. "No matter how many times I repair broken bones, I don't think I'll ever get used to that sound." she shook herself again.

"Alright, Hinata, try to stand up."

Hinata pushed herself up, leaning heavily on the tree behind her. She rose and took her hand off the tree.

"It's… it's great."

"That's good. I want you to rest it for a bit, but make sure you walk it out, too." Sakura turned to leave.

"Wait! Do you want to come with us?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, Tsunade told me she wanted me back as soon as possible." She moved closer to Hinata. "Besides," she whispered. "This is your chance." she giggled, glancing back at Naruto and nudging Hinata. "Good luck." She leapt to a branch.

"See you back at the village, Naruto, Hinata!"

"Bye, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out, waving.

Sakura put her two fingers to her head and did a saluting motion, winking at Hinata. She then took her leave.

"What was that about?" Naruto asked Hinata, who blushed at the question.

"Nothing, Naruto-kun."

"Hey, isn't your birthday coming up?"

ZOHMIGA, NARUTO-KUN REMEMBERED MY BIRTHDAY!!! "Yes, it's in two days."

"Alright, then you can rest tomorrow and we can go to the village we passed; they're having a festival."

"Oh, Naruto-kun, what about the mission? And Kimonos?"

"Don't worry; we can take a slight detour. And I've been saving up. Now, let's get back to camp." And Naruto took Hinata's hand, heading back to the campsite, causing Hinata's face to change a number of colors.

- (' . ') -

Back at the Hokage's Mansion

- (' . ') -

"So, Sakura, how's our little romance going?" Tsunade asked Sakura

"Smashingly." said the medic-nin cupid replacement.

"Oh?"

"He was carrying her in his arms when she hurt her ankle, and I caught him saying he'd take her to the festival in a near by village for her birthday, even treating her with a new Kimono. And, he took her hand when he was leading her back to the camp site."

"Oh, how wonderful, I wish I could go myself, but I got all this damn paper-work…."

Sakura laughed. "Good luck."

Tsunade snorted.